Seed was obtained from open pollination of the unreleased tetraploid seedling selection 95-28-24 (not patented) in the 1996/97 season. 95-28-24 was identified as a tetraploid seedling from the open pollination of ‘Liberty’ (not patented). Triploid seedlings obtained from this open pollination were grown in a nursery at the Motueka, New Zealand in the 1997/98 season; ploidy level was determined by flow cytometry. The resulting seedlings were then planted out in the field and grown in the 1998/99 season. The seedling, originally designated the breeder code 97-77-09 and later named ‘Hort7709’, was selected during the 1998/99 season on the basis of its agronomic performance and chemistry profile.